How do I annotate images in LIMS-plus v5?

Only images can be annotated in the Imaging Pane within LIMS-plus v5. The original image remains in the imaging module, and "versions" of images can be saved with annotations. The user will be able to view all versions of an image, including the original, by using the Image History feature.

Access the Imaging Pane via the Attachment Tab

To access the Imaging Pane for an image in a particular case, click on the Attachments tab of that case (1). If necessary, click on the plus "+" sign next to the name in the list (2) to expand it. Click on the image name (3) to open it in the Imaging Pane.

Imaging Pane

Enlarging the Image View

Images always default to their normal size when opened in the Imaging Pane. To view the full image, open the View menu and then the SizeMode submenu, then select Fit. This will resize the image to fit the Imaging Pane window.

Annotation Toolbar

The above screenshots show the annotation toolbar (located on the right side of the Imaging Pane) and the available features. Starting from the top:

Select

Line draw

Rectangle draw

Ellipse draw

Polyline draw

Polygon draw

Curve draw

Closed-curve draw

Pointer draw

Freehand draw

Highlight

Textbox

Textbox with pointer

Note

Rubber Stamp

Hotspot

Freehand Hotspot

Point (callout)

Redact

Ruler

Polyruler

Protractor

Cross Product

Embed Audio

Embed Video

To add an annotation, select the annotation type from the toolbar by left-clicking on it. Then left-click on the image to start annotating the image and drag to the endpoint of the annotation. Release the left mouse button to apply the annotation.

Annotation Properties

When annotations are added to an image, they are added with default properties. The annotations may not be the size/color that the user wishes to use. In order to modify the annotation, hold down the [Ctrl] keyboard button and left-click on the annotation. Any of the available properties of the annotation may be modified (for example: color, thickness, text in a textbox, alignment, etc.). Each annotation has different properties.

Save Image & Annotated Image Example

Once all of the annotations have been added to the image, open the File menu and select Save Annotations (see red arrow, above).

In the above example, the annotations added were (from top to bottom):